Europe’s agrifood system is under severe pressure. Climate change is causing droughts and floods, and agriculture is putting pressure on nature, the climate and the environment. Diet‑related lifestyle diseases are placing a growing burden on healthcare systems. At the same time, agriculture is expected to deliver affordable food, climate action, biodiversity and food security all at once while maintaining competitiveness in a global market.

On paper, ambitions are high. The EU’s Green Deal and the Member States’ national climate plans all point towards a comprehensive transformation. In practice, however, progress is very slow. Many of the same problems persist year after year.

This paradox is the focal point of a new scientific article in Nature Food, coordinated through a joint collaboration between Jørgen E. Olesen from Aarhus University, Bart de Steenhuijsen Piters from Wageningen University & Research, and Sophie Nicklaus from the National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), together with researchers from a number of European universities and research institutions.

“There is broad agreement that Europe’s food supply needs to change. Yet regulatory frameworks are very conservative, meaning that change happens far too slowly. That tension is what we have tried to understand in this study,” says Sophie Nicklaus.

Why is it so difficult to change the way we get our food?

The researchers behind the article use the concept of “lock‑ins” to explain why transformation repeatedly runs into barriers. Lock‑ins are self‑reinforcing mechanisms that keep Europe tied to particular ways of producing, regulating and consuming food even when there are strong arguments for changing course.

The challenge is not a lack of knowledge or willingness among individual actors. On the contrary, many farmers, companies, consumers and policymakers want change. But they operate within frameworks where incentives, regulations, market structures and habits pull in different directions and maintain the current systems.

Five ways Europe locks itself in

The research team identifies five central lock‑ins that together slow down the transformation of the EU’s food system.

1. Fragmented policy and lack of coordination

A fundamental problem is that Europe’s food sector is regulated in a piecemeal way. The EU has a Common Agricultural Policy, but diet, health, environment, trade and consumption are often dealt with in separate political silos.

As a result, policy measures can work against one another. A subsidy scheme may promote high production, while health authorities simultaneously recommend reduced consumption of certain foods. Climate and environmental goals may collide with short‑term economic priorities.

“If you only look at agriculture and not at the entire food chain from soil to plate, you lose coherence. That is a fundamental structural challenge,” explains Bart de Steenhuijsen Piters.

2. Behaviour and dietary habits that are hard to change

In large parts of Europe, diets are characterised by high consumption of animal‑based and unhealthy foods. This has consequences for climate, the environment and public health.

Even when consumers want to eat more healthily and sustainably, changing habits is difficult. Price, culture, availability, marketing and social norms all play an important role.

3. Market structures and power relations

The food system is largely organised around efficiency, large‑scale production and low prices. This has made food affordable and accessible, but it has also locked the sector into existing pathways.

“When short‑term efficiency is rewarded, it becomes difficult to invest in solutions that only pay off in the long term, such as soil health, biodiversity, climate stability and human health,” says Jørgen E. Olesen.

4. Environmental costs without a price tag

Greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss and degradation of soil and water affect society as a whole, but are rarely reflected in food prices. This makes it harder for sustainable alternatives to compete.

5. Crises and unpredictability as the new normal

Climate change, geopolitical instability and global market shocks are making Europe’s food supply more vulnerable. Yet the system is still optimised for efficiency rather than robustness.

In the middle of complexity stands a new European research collaboration

Understanding these lock‑ins requires more than one discipline. That is why the Nature Food article was developed within a new European research alliance bringing together researchers from, among others, Aarhus University, Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands and the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE).

Here, natural sciences, social sciences and nutrition research work together on a shared question: Why is the transformation of Europe’s food supply progressing so slowly, and what can actually make a difference?

In the work behind the article, 34 researchers from Denmark, France and the Netherlands contributed systematic expert assessments of barriers and opportunities across the entire food chain, from soil and production to consumption and regulation.

“What is special is that we are not looking for a single technical solution. Instead, we offer recommendations in the form of principles that can be used by many different actors, because the problems are interconnected,” says Sophie Nicklaus.

Five principles to move Europe forward

The researchers do not stop at describing the problems as they see them today. As something new, they also take the next step and propose solutions in the form of five principles that can guide policymakers, businesses and civil society, so that the necessary transformation of Europe’s food system does not stall:

1. Prioritising access to healthy, sustainable and affordable food
2. Including all actors in transformation processes, also those who risk losing out
3. Creating accountable and transparent processes and decision‑making
4. Using Europe’s diversity in agrifood systems as a strength
5. Shifting mindsets to a focus on prioritizing common goods

From analysis to action

The article also points to examples where the principles are already being put into practice: including the Green Tripartite Agreement in Denmark and various partnerships promoting healthier diets and locally based food initiatives across Europe.

“This is not only about new technologies. It is about leadership, priorities and the courage to work with the entire picture,” says Jørgen E. Olesen.

Next steps include coordinated research efforts to demonstrate that rigorous application of these principles is key towards the necessary transformation of EU agrifood systems. 

More information

Partners: Aarhus University; Wageningen University & Research (Netherlands); INRAE – French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (France); University of Copenhagen; Université Toulouse Capitole (France); Université Sorbonne Paris Nord (France); Université Paris Cité (France); University of Paris‑Saclay (France); AgroParisTech (France); University of Montpellier (France); CNAM – Conservatoire national des arts et métiers (France).

Conflicts of interest: None declared.

Read more: The publication “Principles for guiding and unlocking transformation of the European Union agrifood system” is published in Nature Food. It is written by Jørgen E. Olesen, Bart de Steenhuijsen, Sophie Nicklaus, Jessica Aschemann-Witzel, Martha Bakker, Céline Bonnet, Hilke Bos-Brouwers, Lionel Bretillon, Henrik Brinch-Pedersen, Jeroen J. L. Candel, Tommy Dalgaard, Cécile Detang-Dessendre, Jørgen Eriksen, Edith J. M. Feskens, Agustín González Gaviola, Atze Jan van der Goot, Niels Halberg, Emmanuelle Kesse-Guyot, Marie Trydeman Knudsen, Per Kudsk, Miranda P. M. Meuwissen, Thomas Nesme, Stacy C. Pyett, Catherine M. G. C. Renard, Ruerd Ruben, Rogier P. O. Schulte, Antonius G. T. Schut, Louis-Georges Soler, Bo Jellesmark Thorsen, Stéphane Turolla, Hugo de Vries, Sigrid C. O. Wertheim-Heck, and Jette F. Young

Contact: Professor and Head of Department Jørgen E. Olesen, Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University. Tel.: +45 40 82 16 59 | Email: jeo@agro.au.dk

Scientific Director “Food and Health”: Sophie Nicklaus, INRAE. | Email: sophie.nicklaus@inrae.fr

Senior Researcher in Food Systems: Bart de Steenhuijsen Piters, WUR | Email: bart.desteenhuijsenpiters@wur.nl

Media contact: Camilla Brodam Galacho, Communications Officer, Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University. Tel.: +45 93 52 21 36 | Email: brodam@agro.au.dk